The Playoffs: Upsets and Surprises

The playoffs have been full of surprises, with strong teams looking weak and vice versa. As DallasMaverick noted, “Teams we viewed as very strong can quickly look weak. Teams we viewed as pretty weak can quickly look strong.” The Cleveland Cavaliers’ all-in move for James Harden and Donovan Mitchell has raised eyebrows, with HoosierDaddyKid questioning their playoff prospects: “Cleveland went all in on Harden. I guess we’ll see how that ends up, considering his past playoff failures.”

The Orlando Magic’s win despite poor shooting from Paulo and Suggs, and Franz missing the second half, has also impressed Chicagojk: “So Paulo and Suggs shot 5-31 and Franz misses the second half and Orlando still wins? Sort of impressive.” These upsets have made the playoffs exciting, with many teams still in the running.

Coaching Drama

Coaching changes and drama are heating up, with Chicagojk discussing the potential impact on Eastern Conference teams: “Sounds like there may be several changes to East playoff teams in their coaching staff if a few don’t have an extended run.” The New York Knicks’ Mike Brown is under scrutiny, with mvossman mentioning the possibility of Jason Kidd taking over: “Wonder if Kidd ends up in NY this time if Mavs hire legit GM.”

The Mavs’ own coaching situation is uncertain, with Chicagojk weighing in on the potential hire of Jason Kidd: “The Mavs can say they want Kidd to coach the team and Kidd may say he wants to coach the team. Although if you are looking at established GM’s, you need to give them full authority to pick the coach.” This discussion has sparked debate among fans, with some questioning Kidd’s suitability as a coach.

Tanking Proposals

The league is considering changes to the tanking system, with Winter sharing a proposal: “Per The Athletic’s Sam Amick, one proposal is clawing its way to the front. In late-March, three anti-tanking proposals were submitted to the league, and per Amick, option No. 1 is the “heavy front-runner.” That would increase the number of lottery teams from the current 14 to 18, and would give the bottom 10 teams an even 8% chance at landing the top pick.”

This proposal aims to reduce tanking by giving more teams a chance at the top pick. However, some fans are skeptical, and DallasMaverick notes that the gap between good and weak teams is small: “The gap between pretty good and pretty weak teams is actually small. A single player or coach can swing things dramatically.”

Playoff Performances

Some players have been standing out in the playoffs, including LeBron James, who continues to defy expectations at 40+ years old. rocky164 asked, “Has any 40+ year old player ever put up playoff numbers like he has in these 3 games? Abdul-Jabbar?” Meanwhile, Ayo Dosunmu has impressed Mavs03 with his recent performances: “Would anyone be interested in signing Ayo Dosunmu in the offseason? What a performance by him particularly with Edwards and Divincenzo having to leave today’s playoff game early.”

Mavs Rumblings

The Mavs’ own roster construction has been a topic of discussion, with dirkfansince1998 noting that the team’s approach has been similar to the post-2011 Dirk-led Mavs: “What you are describing has basically been the post 2011 Dirk-lead Mavs approach. Dirk and an ever changing list of solid veterans. Enough to make the playoffs. Not enough for a deep playoff run.” mvossman remains hopeful for Lively and notes that the Mavs have done the hardest part by finding their elite creator: “The Mavs have done the hardest part. They have their elite creator. The next step is to build the core.”

As the playoffs continue, Mavs fans will be watching closely to see how their team can build on their current core and make a deeper run in the future. Will the Mavs make a splash in the offseason, or will they stick with their current roster? One thing is for sure - the discussion will continue on MavsBoard.

Community Contributors

Thanks to these MavsBoard members whose posts contributed to this article:

Read the Full Discussions

This article is curated from community discussions on MavsBoard Forum. Join the community and share your take!